Real World UX: Marriott Courtyard Lobby

I was on a mini road-trip in New England recently, when we got tired and decided to stop somewhere in Connecticut to spend the night. We chose the first hotel we came across, which wound up being a Courtyard Marriott. As tired as I was, walking into the lobby was a breath of fresh air. It did not have the typical hotel lobby look- it was fresh, modern, and updated. What’s more, is that it had been designed for usability.
I walked up to the check-in kiosk which was much more hospitable than the normal counter. The openness of the kiosk mentally and physically broke down the barriers between myself and the hotel employee. Then, when he asked for my credit card and ID, I found a shelf at the perfect height to place my bag on while I rummaged through to get my wallet. 
To the left of the check-in kiosks was a little Market that had toiletries and snacks available for purchase. While a lot of hotels are adding this feature, they also had bottles of beer and small bottles of wine, perfect to help you unwind after a long day of travel.
Courtyard Marriott Check-In Kiosks

The rooms were standard issue, which was perfectly fine for our purposes. In the morning, we had breakfast in the lobby where I got to sit and enjoy a few more user friendly enhancements:

  • Plenty of available outlets for device charging. 
  • A variety of seating areas provided small mini-living rooms areas where you could watch or read the news while you sip your coffee. 
  • An array of computers for printing boarding passes or other travel documents.

Courtyard Marriott Seating Pods

On our way out, I noticed the “Go Board” showing the temperature, maps, and other useful pieces of information to travelers. Then, someone asked the Courtyard employee for directions and he simply stepped out from behind the kiosk and starting interacting with the Go Board (it’s a touch screen!) to show him where to go.

Courtyard Marriott Go Board

There is nothing I love more than being in an environment where it is clear that someone very deliberately thought about the user’s wants and needs. I was also excited to find this article by IDEO, the design consultancy responsible for the project, explaining their approach to the experience.